Last.



J. E. SWANSON.

LAST.

APPLICATWN FlLED FEB. s, 1916.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

lnverwm. Jmhn E. Bwunsnn n omen.

LAST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ll atented Apr. Tl, iltlllti.

Application filed February 5. 1916. Serial No. 76,373.

I! 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Jon): E. Swanson, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, county of Suffolk,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Lasts, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing,is a specification. like characters on the drawing representing likeparts.

This invention relates to improvements in lasts and the principal objectthereof is to provide an instep former adapted to be removably securedto the instep or waist portion of a last in such a manner that the formof the last may be varied to adapt it for the manufacture of differenttypes of shoes or shoes having insteps differing in height.

Another object of the invention is to provide an instep former which maybe applied readily to lasts of different widths or different sizes forthe purpose aforesaid.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the followingdescription, the drawings, and will be particularly pointed out in theannexed claims.

The drawings illustrate a preferred form of my invention as applied to alast for a ladys shoe.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a last with an instepformer applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view of alast embodying myinvention showing the toe and vamp of a pump lasted thereupon. Fig. 3 isa detail view showing the instep former in section and applied to thewaist and instep portion of the last, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of aninstep former.

In the manufacture of shoes and boots the upper margin of the vampextends along the side of a last to the lower end of the waist of theshoe to provide an opening through which the foot may be inserted. Inhigh shoes the upper is sewed to the edge of the vamp and toe portion.When however pumps or button boots are to be made upon the last the vampis carried higher upon the waist of the shoe so that the opening throughwhich the foot is introduced would be con siderably restricted. Thisnecessitatesthe use of a different last or of a filler placed upon thewaist and instep portion of the last of sufficient thickness to give therequired opening for the introduction of the foot. This has heretoforebeen accomplished by tacking or otherwise securing a skived piece ofleather or cardboard or production of a uniform instep former which maybe used with any size of last and which will serve to build up the waistand instep portion of the last in such a manner that pumps, and buttonboots may readily be constructed upon a standard last. Furthermore thisis adapted to permit the general use of lasts having unusually lowinsteps such as those which are commonly used in making shoes forgrowing girls, since by building out the waist and instep of such lastsby the invention herein the last may be made to conform to womensstandard sizes thereby rendering it unnec essary for the manufacturer tocarry a large number of different forms of lasts.

A preferred form of the invention disclosedherein consists of an instepformer having a ll-shaped body portion 1 of resilient sheet metal suchas sheet steel. The sides 2 and 3 are adapted to embrace the instep a.and waist portion 0 of a last, said side portions 2 and 3 merging intoextended flanges 4 and 5 and terminating in a curved end portion 6 whichwith the margins of the flanges 4 and 5 form a curved end adapted torest upon the toe portion of a last. The central portion 7 of the bodyof the former desirably is slightly arched as illustrated herein. Inorder to provide a convenient means for supporting the instep former inproper relation to the last means are preferably provided whereby thebody portion will be supported at three points. This is accomplished inthe prc ferred form of the invention illustrated herein by providing anintegral bent down extension or flange 8 at the upper end, and bystamping out and bending down a lug 9 adjacent the lower end of theinstep former so that when the device is applied to the last it willrest upon three supports, viz: the flange 8, lug 9, and upon the endportion 6, the flanges or extensions l and 5 closely em bracing the lastat the bottom of the waist portion thereof. One or both of thesupporting devices 8, 9 may. if desired, be made adjustable. This may beaccomplished in any convenient manner as for example by positioning saidflanges or lugs at any do sired angle to the body portion, as indicatedin dotted lines in Fig. 3. It will thus be seen that the toe portion ofthe upper will be raised from the point 0 Fig. 2, which designatesapproximately the point at which the vamp or toe portion terminates uponthe last in ordinary shoes, to a point (5 upon the bridge or formerwhere pumps such as are illustrated in Fig. 2 are to be made, thusincreasing the aperture through which the foot may be introduced intothe shoe and forming a comfortable shoe.

The instep former may conveniently be removably secured to the last bytacks, screws or other fasteners inserted through aperturesIO, 11, 12and 13 at the ends of the former and extensions thereof.

By reason of its resilience the metallic former is adapted to adjustitself to lasts of different sizes and different widths; furthermore itmay be applied to the last as indicated herein or in positions eitherabove or below those indicated so that the last may be in effectreconstructed to meet various conditions of manufacture and also toprovide for the manufacture of special shoes Without the necessity ofproducing specially formed lasts.

It will be understood that the particular embodiment of the inventionillustrated and described herein is not restrictive and that variousmodifications in details of construction may be made within the spiritand scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim asnew and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a last, a metallic instep former comprising aV-shaped body portion and lateral extensions adapted to embrace theinstep and waist portions of the last and means for securing the same tothe last.

2. In combination with a-last, a metallic instep former comprising aV-shaped body portion and lateral extensions adapted to embrace theinstep and waist portions of the last, and a plurality of means integralwith the body portion for supporting the same at a predetermineddistance above the instep and waist of the last, the ends and extensionsengaging and embracing a portion of the last. i

An instep former for lasts comprising a body portion V-shaped in crosssection, the sides thereof having lateral extensions. and means carriedby said body portion for positioning the same at a predetermineddistance from the instep and waist of the last, said body portion andextensions being apertured to receive fastening means.

4. An instep former for lasts consisting of a resilient sheet metal bodyportion V- shaped in cross section and arched longitudinally and havinglateral extensions, the lower margins of said extensions and of saidbody portion forming a continuous curve arranged to conform to the shapeof a last, adjustable means for positioning said body portion. at an'edetermined distance from the instep and waist of the last and meanswhereby said instep former may be secured to the last.

An instep former for lasts consisting of a resilient sheet metal bodyportion V- shaped in cross section and having lateral extensions at itslower end. the margins of said body portion forming a continuous curveadapted to fit the fore portion of a last. said body portion beingprovided centrally of the extensions with :1 lug and at its opposite endwith a downwardly turned spacing flange, and means whereby said instepformer may be secured to the last.

In testimony whereof, I have: signed my name to this specification.

JOHN swANsoN.

